Late Lal Bahadur Basnet was born on 17thDecember 1926 at Nazitam, Sang in East
Sikkim. Born to Lieutenant (Honorary) Prem Bahadur Basnett and Narbada Devi,
Lal Bahadur Basnett is an enigmatic personality of Sikkimese politics. At the
age of 4, Late Basnett, along with his parents, left Sikkim for Dehradun (then
United Provinces now the Capital of Uttarakhand) and returned to his native
land only after 15 years. He got his basic education at Dehradun and went to
Ludhiana and admitted to Punjab University for his graduation. After
accomplishing his Graduation, in 1945, he went to United Services Pre-Cadet
College Belgaum. He was court-martial from the Army due to his direct and
open letter to a High ranking Army Officer. In his letter he stated about “the
dissatisfaction prevailing in 2/5 Gurkha Rifles”, which was not engrossed by
other high ranking Officers. He was sent for a rigorous three months
imprisonment but, later released after spending one and a half months in the
jail. After resigning from the Indian Army, he went to Pokhara (Nepal) and served
as a school teacher.

He sat for the Sikkim’s first Civil Service Competitive
Examinations and qualified the same and was appointed as a Magistrate in 1961. However,
within a short period he resigned from the bureaucracy and joined Sikkim
National Congress, a political party headed by L.D Kazi and was entrusted with
the charge of Joint Secretary. His ideas of democracy and egalitarianism could
not stop there.

In 1966, he published series of three articles on the topic ofDemocracy in Sikkim(Sikkim ma Prajatantra)
which ultimately led to the portrayal of Late Basnett as an anti-national. On
10th September 1966, the Joint Secretary of Sikkim National Congress
was arrested on a non-bail able warrant for having committed offences of
sedition under section 124A of the Indian Penal Code.[i] According to Basnett:

“The arrest had been occasioned by a series of three articles entitled
“Democracy in Sikkim”, published in NOW, a Calcutta Weekly, and a letter
written to the Editor, “Hindustan Standard” a Calcutta Daily, on the sensitive
subject of Sikkim’s National Anthem”[ii].

According to the reports of Kanchenjunga:

“It has come to know that Mr. Basnett had in certain journals and
newspaper in Calcutta written articles which have been said to be against the
interest of Sikkim. He was arrested under Indian Penal Code Section 124A on the
charges of Rajdroha”[iii].

It appears that the
accused and the General Secretary of Sikkim National Congress had written
nothing sensational against the National Anthem of the Kingdom. He had simply
tried to draw the attention of the Indian intelligentsia regarding the existing
political situation of the Kingdom. An extract of his article is reproduced
here:

“Now, the ruling house- the Sikkim Durbar- had no intentions to part
with its powers and prerogatives which a democratic government would
necessarily entail. It restored to the time honoured political weapon of divide
and rule....The Sikkim Durbar assiduously applied itself to sowing the seeds of
discord among the three communities by playing up the probability of the
tyranny of the majority over the minority communities”[iv].

In another issue, he
continued to criticize the Sikkim Durbar for waiting for an opportunity to
impose absolutism in the Kingdom. Mr. Basnett wrote:

“The Sikkim Durbar has almost reached the point where its absolute rule
has become a glaring fact....So, with absolutism in the saddle, Sikkim
continues on the dizzy path of eventual chaos”[v].

The only matter that the Durbar had to criticize the
writings mentioned above was about the existence of absolutism in the Kingdom,
which could be refuted in a usual manner by placing the example of the
Executive Council of 1958. However, the arrest of Mr. Basnett gives a clear sketch that
how Sikkim Durbar was working on the “democratization” of the country where
a single word against the palace was considered as an act of insubordination.

The lone News based journal Kanchenjunga published the event in the news story with the title ‘National Congress Secretary Arrested’
that too was in an equidistant manner between the democratic and autocratic
juxtaposition. It writes

“....it would
be enough to say that in the history of Sikkim, this is the first case relating
to Section 124(A) or treason”[vi].

After
spending 48 hours in the police custody, Mr. Basnett was taken before the Chief
Magistrate on 12th September 1966, and he was released on bail of Rs
100,000.[vii]
On 10th April 1967, after the results of Third General Elections Mr.
Basnett was acquitted from the charge of treason.

Due to his deviating political views with L.D Kazi he
resigned from the Sikkim National Congress and founded Sikkim Janata Party.
Though, the party had never been active in the political sphere of Sikkim but,
the demands made by Late Basnett and his party cannot be disregarded. After his
victory in the election of 1979, he was elected as the Deputy Speaker of Sikkim
Legislative Assembly.

The early 60’s
of the last century can be considered as the concluding segment of the tug of
war that was prevalent between the political parties of Sikkim and the Sikkim
Durbar. It can be articulated that, the period had accurately witnessed “King
can do no wrong” as far as the Sikkimese administration was concerned. The
Executive Councillors had served for seven years without any break. However, as
per the provision, there had to be an election in 1962; but, was postponed for
an indefinite period due to the “Chinese encroachments”. From the study it
appears that, there was no political party except the Sikkim National Congress
of Kazi Lhendup Dorjee which repeatedly clamoured for the political reforms. The
political situation of the erstwhile Himalayan Kingdom was thence standing on
the edge which is evident from the reports of Kanchenjunga. The monthly Nepali news based journal states:

“…The Chogyal
had in accordance to the advice rendered by different political parties, said
that political reforms will be carried out or else like 1958’s law of election
will be conducted....while looking at the demands of the political parties, all
the parties are unanimous in one matter of election which was to be conducted
in 1961 and was not be postponed further.....but, when it comes to the
formation of the Council, rules regulating election, administration etc., the
parties are not unanimous. If the ruler and the different parties do not listen
to each other this critical situation will definitely harm the multi-faceted
progress of the country”[i]

Though, Kanchenjunga[ii]
blamed Sikkim National Congress along with other political parties for
maintaining silence against the introduction of reservation on the basis of
caste and race, it appears that, the Sikkim National Congress had made some
clatters. But, as usual their opposition went unheard as the other two parties
namely Sikkim National Party and Sikkim State Congress remained hushed and
muted and were busy in proving them as
good and obedient parties to the Durbar.

The photograph attached
with this post is a letter from Kazini Eliza Maria of Chakhung to late Mr.
Brihaspati Parsai of Namli village East Sikkim. The latter was one of the
founding members of Sikkim State Congress founded in December 1947 with a
purpose of liquidating feudalism from the very root of Sikkim. It is evident from
the letter that late Brihaspati Parsai had invited the Kazi couple for the
marriage of their son to his residence at Namli village. However, the Kazini
was unable to make her presence with her husband due to ‘ridiculous attitude of
Sikkim Durbar’. It is interesting to note that the letter was dispatched from
Chakhung House Kalimpong; the unofficial headquarter of Sikkim National
Congress. It indicates that the entry of the Kazi couple to Sikkim was banned at
that juncture for some unknown reasons and she is hopeful to meet her relations
in Sikkim after the riddance of “nonsense”.

I am quite sure
that the Kazi couple was not allowed in getting into Sikkim after the publication of
Bulletin No.2 of 26th January 1972 through which the Sikkim National
Congress had a mocking criticism against the Chogyal and the Sikkimese administration. A line published in
Bulletin No.2 of the Sikkim National Congress says:

“It should always be borne in mind that there can be
no King without people, but conversely there are many countries today which
have people without Kings”.[iii]

Document acquired from Mr. N.B. Parsai of Namin village East Sikkim

The line quoted
above from Bulletin No. 2 was more than adequate to get exiled in a monarchical
set up. However, it materializes that the earlier banishment, indicated in this
letter was certainly for raising the voices of the majority, where the Kazi probably
was reluctant to accept the Durbar diversion of “divide and rule”. Probably he
could sniff the tang of prejudice in the approaches of the palace and remained
unbending with his democratic ethos and in all probabilities his democratic
values were responsible for ‘ridiculous attitude of Sikkim Durbar’.